Olive Garden Breadstick Recipe Better Than the Real Ones

Every time I go to Olive Garden I gorge myself on the breadsticks. I even do that evil thing where you ask for a breadstick refill only to package them up and bring them home as treats for later. Since I have a serious bread addiction and couldn’t wait until the next time I went to the Olive Garden, I searched for recipes online. I came across a bunch of imitators but none really tasted like an Olive Garden breadstick; until I found the one below.

This Olive Garden breadstick recipe yields fluffy, garlic-y, crunchy breadsticks perfect for dipping in soup or salad dressing. They’re perfect for dinner parties or carb crunching. The best part is the recipe is easy to make; perfect for beginners. So stop going to the $8 lunch at Olive Garden just for soup and breadsticks. Save some money and make delicious breadsticks and homemade soup instead.

Total time: 1.5 hrs

Servings: 16 breadsticks

Ingredients:

Dough:

1 package active dry yeast

4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting

2 TB butter, softened

2 TB sugar

1 TB fine salt

Topping:

3 TB butter, melted

½ TS kosher salt

¼ TS garlic powder

Dashes of oregano to taste

Cook it:

Place ¼ cup of warm water in the bowl of a mixer

Add the yeast to the warm water and wait until it’s foamy, about 7 minutes

Mix with the paddle attachment until you see a slightly stick dough, about 5 minutes

Dust a cutting board or your kneading surface with flour, I like whole wheat

Knead the dough on the floured surface until soft

Roll the dough into a long rope, about 2 feet long

Cut the dough into 16, 1 ½ inch pieces and knead each piece until it’s about 6 inches long (I like thicker/fatter breadsticks so I make 10 pieces but this recipe can make up to 16)

Get long rectangular pan and place parchment paper on top

Place the dough pieces on the parchment-lined baking sheet

Cover with a cloth and let rise until the dough is about double in size, about 45-60 minutes

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Melt the 3 TB of butter and measure out ¼ TS of Kosher salt

Brush the breadsticks with 1 ½ TB of butter and ¼ TS of Kosher salt

Place the breadsticks in the oven until golden brown (about 15-20 minutes)

Combine the rest of the butter with the other ¼ TS of Kosher salt, garlic powder, and as much oregano as you would like

After the breadsticks have cooked to a perfect golden brown, remove them from the oven and brush them with the butter/garlic/oregano/salt mixture

Dip in your favorite soup, add butter, or enjoy plain! Now you can make Olive Garden’s famous breadsticks whenever you’d like!

I know there are many of you out there who are just as addicted as I am to these breadsticks. They’re cheap and easy to make, you don’t have to leave your house and drive out to Olive Garden, and they’re just as delectable as what you get in the restaurant. Happy carbo-loading!

I am in deep-fried love with food and travel. With Italian roots, I have a weakness for bread, marinara, and mozzarella. I’ll try anything once and am constantly searching for intriguing places to visit. When I'm not savoring the last bite or organizing my next trip, I'm indulging my inner bookworm and writing about my adventures. If you turn on college football and give me a local craft beer, you’ll see the happiest Hokie on the West coast.